true love
by Neopuff
Summary: "True love leaves you for dead in the Gobi Desert! True love sells you to Portuguese pirates and throws you out of an airship over the Himalayas. True love leaves you in a glacier when the sun's rays thaw it out after five long years of your being frozen together!" - Scrooge McDuck (2018)
1. gobi desert

_The Gobi Desert was too hot during the day and too cold at night, but Scrooge and Goldie were determined to find the gold they knew was waiting for them._

* * *

A chilly wind blew past - making him shiver and groan. "You said comin' here in th' winter would be easier!"

"Well, that's what I was _told!_ Don't be so dramatic, it's not that bad. There's not even any snow."

Scrooge jogged up so he was standing next to her and cuddled inside his coat. "That doesnae change th' fact that I'm freezin' my tail feathers aff out here."

She laid her hand on his arm for a moment and smirked. "Somehow I think you'll make it."

With an eyeroll, Scrooge turned around and walked back to their khulan. The man who'd sold him the stupid donkey wouldn't budge on his prices at all, so he and Goldie had been sharing him for the past few days. Sharing with Goldie O'Gilt was never an easy task, but the fact that he saved so much made it worth the extra effort.

He _did_ wish he'd sprung for a second map, however. Not that he even had that option with all the details added by Goldie's "source". Normally wouldn't let her keep hold of it, but in this particular instance his hands were too cold and too stuffed into his oversized gloves to care.

"What are ye lookin' for, again?" He reached for his water and chugged more than he probably should've. He needed to be more careful about their rations.

She sighed. "According to my contact, we'll know that we need to start going east when we see a clearing of rocks shaped like a heart."

"See it yet?"

"No." Goldie stuffed the map back into her bag. "So we'll continue going south. Based on our current speed, we should be in Oyu Tolgoi within the next three days."

"Oh?" Scrooge smiled. "That's sooner than Ah thought. How about we stop for th' night an' save our energy for th' sunlight, then?"

She turned around and glared. "Are you serious? The sun's still technically up. We could make a little more headway at _least_."

Ignoring her, Scrooge was already unpacking his sleeping bag and dragging it behind a large rock - perfect for blocking the sun when morning came. "Yoo'll thank me once ye get some shut-eye, O'Gilt. Plus it's about to get e'en colder."

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were getting too old for this," she mumbled. "Can't we just sleep on the donkey again?"

"My back cannae take another night of that!" Scrooge whined. "Sleepin' on him and ye sleepin' on me is _not_ the luxury spa ye seem tae think it is!"

Goldie rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. She wouldn't deny the discomfort - but they were so _close._ She wanted that gold as soon as possible, and with Slowpoke McWhinypants on her side, it'd probably take another week to get there.

Scrooge rolled around in his sleeping bag for a good few minutes before finally falling asleep. She looked up to see the sun finally going down, and wondered why he hadn't complained about hunger in the past few hours. He must've brought along something of his own that he'd been sneakily eating during their journey. What an ass.

Goldie grabbed some food out of her bag - some stale bread and raisins; a lovely dinner. The same dinner she'd had for days and days. But hey - once that gold was in her pocket, she could buy herself a one-way ticket to London and eat with the Queen if she wanted to!

After eating, Goldie glanced at her own sleeping bag. Try as she might, she could _not_ make herself tired. It was too exciting to know that there was a ton of gold just waiting for her on the other side of the desert. And she _knew_ there was gold there - as suspicious as Scroogey was, she trusted her source as much as she could trust anyone.

Hours later, she wasn't feeling anymore tired. She inhaled the night's atmosphere and looked down at Scrooge's sleeping form. He was just wasting her time - first he kept making stops to drink or pee or complain about the weather, then he says they should set up camp when she wasn't even remotely tired? These few hours to think to herself had led to one conclusion...he was slowing her down. He'd come into a ton of gold on his own recently and probably wasn't as invested as she was.

With a quiet sigh, she walked over to his bag and pulled out a notebook and a pen. He'd be mad about this, so the least she could do would be to leave him a note. Fortunately, she had no reason to worry about him. He was, after all, Scrooge McDuck.

Goldie finished writing and tucked the letter into his sleeping bag so he'd be sure to find it. He snorted obnoxiously in his sleep at the sudden movement. She rolled her eyes, but at the same time, thought it was kind of...weirdly cute.

She leaned down and kissed his cheek. "Later, Sourdough." Hopping on their previously-shared khulan, she tossed a few things he'd need out of their pack and took off.

A few hours later, Scrooge was awoken by an uncomfortable piece of paper stabbing into his neck. He shuffled around for a bit, but eventually decided now was a good a time as any to move. "Ye up, Goldie?"

The lack of response sent Scrooge into immediate panic mode. He suddenly sat up and looked around to see the sun peeking out on the horizon and a few things missing - his partner, his _ride_ , and most of his stuff. His eye twitched in anger and he snatched the piece of paper that woke him up to read it thoroughly.

" _Scrooge -_

 _Got tired of sitting around. Looks like the gold is mine!_

 _3 G"_

He exhaled loudly and ground his teeth together. Should've seen this coming. _Really_ should've seen it coming. Just because she stuck with him through their adventure in the Bermuda Triangle, didn't mean he could sit back and pretend she'd changed!

Scrooge looked around him. Besides the canteen of water and small bag of coins she left him, there wasn't anything in his sights but sand, dirt, and more sand. He didn't even have to check to know that she'd taken the map with her.

He racked his brain to see if he could remember any details at all. There was definitely a village somewhere southwest of him. Or at least some sort of monastery. Either way - there'd be food and there'd be people.

Scrooge rolled up the sleeping bag and stuffed it into his bag. There was plenty of room since Goldie left him with such a small amount of stuff. It was times like these when he wondered if she really didn't care if he died. Another blast of cold wind blew by and he shivered, wrapping himself up properly in his coat.

She was lucky, that ol' Glittering Goldie. Doing this to any other duck would leave them dead and her guilty. But he'd be fine. After all, he was _Scrooge McDuck!_


	2. portuguese pirates

_A missing ship was last seen off the coast of Madeira Island - and Scrooge McDuck intends to get to it first._

* * *

He hadn't been subtle about his bitterness - their last meeting had ended so poorly, so Goldie was prepared for him to yell at her and threaten her and whatnot. What she _wasn't_ prepared for was silence and a cold shoulder.

They always bickered and fought and snarked at each other, but silence made her uncomfortable.

He was leaning against the bottom of the mast, looking away from her and staring out at the ocean beyond them. It hadn't been a long journey - the total trip was only going to take a little over a day's time. But she was hoping to chat and have fun on the long boat ride...not just sit and sulk.

Goldie double-checked that everything was in order before she tried scooting a bit closer to where he was. Scrooge turned away from her even further. She pouted and walked over - standing in front of his line of sight with her hands on her hips.

"Why did you agree to partner up again if you don't even want to be here?"

He didn't look up at her. "I saved a lot ay money by splittin' this boat wi' ye."

She crossed her arms and took a seat across from him. "We need to work together if we're going to get every last jewel."

"I don't actually _need_ ye to get all th' treasure," he scoffed. "Yoo were just lucky we ran intae each other an' Ah was feelin' generous."

"Is _that_ what happened?" She rolled her eyes and thought back to their meeting the day before.

 _Scrooge had only been off his plane for a few minutes before a familiar figure caught his eye._

 _"O'Gilt!" Scrooge yelled across the street._

 _She turned at the sound of her voice and - for only a brief moment - looked upset, before switching to her usual sly smirk and waved at him. "Hey Scroogey! Long time no see!"_

 _He crossed his arms as she started to make her way over to him, smiling the whole time. "What are ye daein' in Casablanca, Goldie?"_

 _"Well, obviously I came for the waters," she said with an unending smile._

 _"Wha-? For waters? We're in th' desert!" He frowned - already knowing the real reason she was there._

 _"Oh, is that so?" Goldie put a finger to her beak in faux-wonderment. "I guess I was misinformed."_

 _"Cut to th' chase - ye heard about th' Madeira ship, didnae ye?" Scrooge asked with a pointed finger at her chest._

 _She smiled and shrugged. "It's possible! And so what if I did? You don't have any claim to it!"_

 _He stayed silent for a moment while he glared at her, before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. "We might as well go together, 'en."_

 _"Oh? Think I can't afford my own boat? It'd surprise you how cheap these Moroccan boats are to rent." She placed a hand on her hip._

 _"Donae misunderstand me, O'Gilt - Ah just know it'll be easier to keep an eye on ye this way."_

 _Goldie laughed. "You know what? Let's do it, then."_

"Yes, that's exactly what happened," Scrooge hissed and laid down. "Now leave me be. Ah want to get some shut-eye before we arrive."

"How can you sleep when there's treasure on the horizon?" Goldie poked him in the shoulder.

He rolled over and huffed.

Goldie clambered over him and straddled his legs. "This is no fun if you won't even talk to me!"

Scrooge looked up and frowned. "Ain it wasnae any fun when ye left me for dead in th' desert!"

"Aw, c'mon, I knew you'd be _fine_." She put a hand under his beak and leaned her face closer to his. "You could at least let me make it up to you, Scroogey-poo."

He tried to fight the blush that came over his cheeks, but Goldie's smirk let him know he'd done a poor job of it. "Donae call me that, you-..."

Scrooge cut himself off at the sudden realization that they were not as alone as he'd thought. Somehow in the span of time they'd been chatting, a gigantic pirate ship made it's way alongside them. He put a hand on Goldie's cheek and turned her head to see their company.

"Oh, _shit._ "

"That's a bit of an understatement," Scrooge mumbled. "Do ye have anythin' on ye?"

"Nothing but supplies, Moneybags." She got off of him and brushed invisible dust off her clothes. "Should we try to charm them or just escape with our lives?"

"Ye really think ye can charm a bunch of pirates?" He got up and adjusted his hat.

 _"Venha a bordo ou seja destruído!"_

Scrooge and Goldie stared up at the man who'd yelled down at them. Goldie cupped a hand over her mouth and leaned towards Scrooge to whisper. "I got the gist of that. We should probably do what they say."

"Since when dae ye speak Spanish?" Scrooge raised an eyebrow at her.

"Learned it about a decade ago. But that wasn't Spanish...I think it's Portuguese." She motioned up at the pirate, who threw a rope ladder over the side of their ship. "He said something about giving up or getting destroyed, so..."

"Bah! Aam Scrooge McDuck! Ah can take a bunch of Portuguese pirates!" He scowled.

Goldie grabbed the ladder and tied it to their little sailboat. "Just because they speak another language doesn't mean they don't understand you. Try not to get us killed, alright?"

She started to climb, and Scrooge grumbled as he followed after her. It didn't seem like the pirates recognized him as the self-made billionaire he was, so hopefully they could just give up their supplies and leave without a scratch.

As they made their way up top and each had a sword held to their necks, Scrooge made a mental note to start studying more languages. With all the world traveling he'd been doing the past few years, the few that he knew weren't going to cut it. And this particular case was extra frustrating since Goldie seemed to be able to talk with them just fine.

"Sure sounds like ye know Portuguese," he said angrily.

Goldie shushed him and went back to talking to the pirate captain - clearly shrugging and apologizing before continuing. Scrooge huffed again. This was stupid. He should just take them down and get back on his way. Goldie could stay with the pirates for all he cared!

There was a pause in conversation where the captain had a hand on his chin, then he motioned for his sword-handling companions to lower their weapons. At least whatever Goldie was doing, she was doing it right. When it came to her, Scrooge could never be certain.

"What's happenin', Goldie? Are we free tae go?"

She rubbed the back of her neck and spoke to the captain a bit more. He rolled his eyes are barked an order at his crew - then they all turned around - including the captain himself. Scrooge didn't think he could be more confused.

"Alright, O'Gilt - what did ye -"

He was cut off again, but this time by the pleasant feeling of her beak pressed against his. She grabbed at his shirt to pull him closer, but Scrooge only had a brief moment to kiss back before she let go.

"Sorry, Scroogey," she said as she left a small peck on his cheek.

"Wait...fer _what?_ " He rubbed his cheek and tried not to notice all the pirates turning back around.

"For, uh..." Goldie turned towards the captain - who tossed a small bag at her. Scrooge recognized the sound of coins smacking against each other and glared.

He reached forward to grab her when a sword made its way in front of his neck again _. "Goldie!"_

She blew him another kiss and ran back to the ladder they climbed up to start with. "You'll be fine! They just want to ransom you, is all."

Scrooge's face turned red with anger and frustration as she leapt over the side of the ship. "O'Gilt ye devious little back-stabbing piece of-!"

As the pirates grabbed him and locked him in their brig - a calculated allowance on Scrooge's part, he'd let them take him somewhere closer to land before escaping - he had just a few things on his mind. One: he _really_ should at least bring translation books if he's not going to learn an entire language. And two: he will _never_ trust Glittering Goldie O'Gilt again.

* * *

 _And yes, weirdly enough, there was an English-speaking wannabe playwright in the town where Scrooge and Goldie met who watched them for a bit and then later wrote the play that inspired Casablanca. Definitely._


	3. the himalayas

_Rumors of the mystical ancient tunnel beneath the Hanuman Dhoka had finally reached the ears of Scrooge McDuck, and he was determined to find King Pratap Malla's secret stash of gold._

* * *

"So yoo're completely confident ye can get us tae Kathmandu in under an hour?"

"Uhhhhh, yep, yep! Yessiree I can definitely do that! Flying you two love birds over the mountaintops will be a breezey-breeze!"

Scrooge and Goldie looked over at each other for a moment before looking back at their pilot. "Look, Captain, um..."

"Foghorn!"

"Captain Foghorn. This isn't a romantic getaway, here. It's a treasure hunt. Do you get that?" Goldie could feel herself getting overly frustrated at their ridiculously odd host.

The Captain blinked one of his eyes a few times before finally responding. "Of course, of course! Uhhhh, yep yep, it's all the same to me!" He waddled towards the cockpit and climbed in to get ready.

Goldie looked over at her partner and adjusted her cap. "Are you kidding me with this guy? You're crazy rich! How can you not have a pilot that isn't so...so _weird_?"

"Look, O'Gilt, it's nae 'at Ah cannae afford better, it's just 'at Ah didnae know Captain Bounty had retired!" Scrooge motioned towards him. "He's got a pilot's license, what else dae ye need?"

"Preferably a pilot who blinks with both eyes," Goldie grumbled and slowly reached for the passenger seat.

Scrooge smiled - he couldn't help but find her obstinance a bit cute - and climbed up into the seat, squeezing in next to her. "So long as we get there it's all th' same, right?"

She rolled her eyes in response and wiggled around in the now cramped space. "Personally, I'd like to get there in one piece."

"What's got ye so rattled? Usually ye love dangerous little hiccups on our adventures." Scrooge wiggled his butt in the seat and settled his goggles over his eyes. "Gettin' too old for this?"

The plane started up and Goldie gripped Scrooge's arm next to her like a lifeline. She was already frustrated by this tiny plane and weird pilot, but Scrooge's absolute calm was putting her even more on edge.

He smirked at her discomfort and reached over to place her goggles over her eyes as well - she wanted to rip his head off.

"The fact that you're _not_ rattled makes me think you're going senile, Old Man."

His smirk turned to a frown at that comment and Goldie finally felt like she was on top again. Where she was supposed to be.

After a rocky take off, they traveled in silence for a good twenty minutes - Goldie was still squeezing his arm while Scrooge sat comfortably, one leg over the other. He couldn't help but wonder if her little freak out was part of some plan...but usually she tried to trick him in a much more laid back way. This was almost embarrassing. The thought that her fear was legitimate briefly crossed his mind - but no...this was _Goldie O'Gilt!_ Since when did she fear anything?

He figured the best way to find out was to get her talking. "So dae ye have any plans for yer share of Pratap Malla's treasure?"

Goldie turned towards him, trying not to focus on the deafening wind blowing past them. "Considering we don't even know what kind of treasure it'll be -"

"We know it'll be gold!"

"...it's hard to say." On a reflex, she leaned towards her traveling buddy more and laid her head onto his shoulder. "Maybe I'll start acting like you and save up."

Scrooge blinked at Goldie's sudden show of affection and took a deep breath before moving his arm up and around her shoulder. Maybe this wasn't a romantic getaway, but...that didn't mean they couldn't share an intimate moment or two.

Or maybe he just missed being with her. Or maybe he was lonely. It'd been almost five years since their last shared adventure and Scrooge was starting to wonder if they should learn to keep in contact. Write letters, swap phone numbers. Something of the sort.

He closed his eyes for a moment so he could properly enjoy this moment with Goldie, when the biplane started to shake.

"What th'-!" Scrooge turned around to look at their pilot, who had very clearly fallen asleep at the wheel. "Wha-!? Foghorn!"

"AH?!" The Captain's head shot up as Scrooge's scream woke him and he gripped the controls like a lifeline. "Oop, oop, oopsies! Thanks for that, Mr. McDuckles!"

Scrooge continued to stare - an eye twitching under his goggles. He turned back to see Goldie looking angrier than he'd seen her in a long time.

"Ae'm sure 'at was just a one time thing-"

"Oh, no, you don't!" Goldie pointed a finger at his chest. "We're not even halfway there and he's already almost killed us!"

As Scrooge was about to object, the plane started to shake again - followed by a slight dip towards the mountains below them. Goldie screeched and reached back to slap their pilot across the face. And for once, Scrooge wasn't going to stop her.

She lifted up Foghorn's head and slapped him so hard his clearly-false-eyeball popped out - unfortunately landing right in Scrooge's hand.

"WHA WHA?" Foghorn looked down at Goldie's angry expression and started to sweat. He grabbed the controls again. "I-I don't know how these things happen, I really surely don't! But I'm all good now!"

Scrooge stared at the disgusting object in his hand. "This...is this a marble?"

Goldie turned back towards him. _"What?"_

"It's nae a glass eye, it's just...a marble." He held it up. "Made for children."

Once more, almost on cue, the plane started to dip, and Goldie and Scrooge both turned towards Foghorn to see that he hadn't fallen asleep this time - rather, he had only just noticed the loss of his eye and was starting to freak out. "This feels very very badly bad! I am not a happy man right now, nosiree! This does not feel good or nice! I'd like to-"

Goldie grabbed him again and shoved the marble back into his eye socket, pushing onto Foghorn's chest so he'd fall back into the seat. Before he could even react, she reached past him and grabbed two familiar bags that were placed next to him.

"At least this idiot's good for something," Goldie mumbled, checking the bags quickly before moving back to her shared seat with Scrooge.

"Are those-?"

"Mhmm," Goldie said, handing one to him and putting the other one on. "We're done here."

Scrooge stared at the pack for a moment before looking up at her - a little nervous that she was now standing. "What dae ye mean, _done-?!"_

In the next second, she'd grabbed him by the jacket collar and thrown him over the side of the plane, following suit a few moments later. Scrooge's screams were drowned out by the bellowing winds around them, but Goldie rolled her eyes and picked up speed so she could glide closer to him.

With only a minute to spare, she grabbed Scrooge and the backpack he was still holding on to and fixed it so he was wearing it properly.

"Goldie ye backstabber! Yoo're gonnae get me killed!" Scrooge shouted - even though he knew she couldn't hear a word of it.

She smirked anyway, enjoying the image of his whiskers flying all around his face, and leaned closer to briefly kiss his beak before pulling the release for his parachute.

Scrooge flew up at the parachute launched, and Goldie looked off into the distance - Kathmandu was within sight, all she had to do was soar and coast and float as close to it as possible to get her treasure.

Meanwhile, Scrooge was wiggling around angrily, unable to get free from the parachute straps and knowing that he shouldn't try. Yes, that biplane was a mess and that pilot was an incompetent idiot. But she didn't always have to just do whatever she wanted! There could've been a discussion! Or at least some sort of heads up! But _nooooo!_ And now he was going to be stuck in the middle of Nepal without any food or water.

As always, that woman was proving to be more trouble than not. Scrooge glanced down to see her figure in the distance gliding towards the east - she still hadn't activated her parachute and he knew from experience that she was getting dangerously close to death. His heart started to race ten times faster than before as he continued to watch her - but just moments later she finally activated her chute.

He breathed out a sigh of relief and closed his eyes. She'd pulled his chute so early that he was going to be in the air for at least another 5 or 10 minutes - looks like she was going to get the treasure all by herself, once again. Maybe next time he'd know better than to trust a no-good, backstabbing, greedy grifter!

* * *

 _Captain Foghorn is from the Ducktales 1987 episode: Bermuda Triangle Tangle. He's super weird. But it's a weird episode._

 _EDIT: He officially appeared in DT17! In the Christmas episode he gets in Scrooge's way when he's trying to talk to Goldie. Really good stuff, my heart was all a-flutter._

 _In the episode, Scrooge says she threw him out of "an airship" but then describes it as a biplane. Which is it, Scrooge? Better get your story straight._

 _Also, I went back and forth on this idea...but I thought about having Goldie be so nervous about the plane 'cause she's pregnant. I decided against it, but, y'know. That would've been quite the time for Scrooge to find out._


	4. white agony plains

_It's been several years since he last saw her, and several years since she broke his heart._

 _But when a man of certain status hears rumors of his ex appearing at a gala in D.C., it shouldn't be unexpected for him to make an appearance._

* * *

Washington D.C. was colder than he remembered.

But perhaps, it was the icy glare he shot at his former lover that was making the room seem dry and chilly. A reminder of their last meeting that hung in the air, he supposed.

When she finally noticed him, it felt like all the breath was scooped out of his lungs. She was as beautiful as he remembered – her hair pulled back into a bun and bangs tousled over her forehead in a way that should've looked messy, but she pulled it off. Her dress was a light blue – almost white – with angled sleeves that his eyes followed to the long gloves adorning her arms. A fitting look for the Ice Queen.

They met in the middle of the floor just as the band started to play a new song. He recognized it as the Blue Danube – a song he and Goldie had danced to many times before. But to them, it was never just a dance. Never just a waltz or a tango - there was too much in their past and too much in their present for that to be all that was going on. They were drawn to each other the moment their eyes locked from across the room.

Her hand fit inside his like a glove, and he felt surprised by that as if they hadn't done this a thousand times. His hand fit alongside her waist like it had always been there since the first day they met. And their motions were in sync from the moment they started to move; there was no doubt or hesitation in the other's ability to keep up.

The music was loud, but not loud enough. And there were too many people dancing around them, and yet...not enough. Scrooge wanted them to be alone, Goldie wanted the crowd. They always managed to be in sync yet completely out of sync at the same time, and they knew as much.

"How've you been, Scroogey?"

They twisted and turned and waltzed around the floor.

"Ae've been better. An' yerself?"

He wanted to dip her, but the music wasn't calling for it just yet. In time…he could be dramatic and romantic.

"Feeling a bit awkward, if I'm being honest."

"Why's 'at?"

"Well...it took you a lot longer than I expected to find me."

Scrooge frowned at that, not entirely sure of what she meant. Though he knew she saw their relationship as a bit of a game of cat and mouse, surely she wasn't going to ignore their five years spent together?

He dipped her in time with the music and leaned his face down close to hers. "Ah wasnae looking."

She came back up and they moved back into position, but Goldie's expression showed a brief flash of hurt. "Is that so? I suppose there's a first time for everything."

They stared into each other's eyes for a moment - Scrooge was eager to snap back at her with some witty remark, but felt the urge melt out of him. He just wanted to hold her in his arms for a bit, even if it was just for the rest of the song. After everything they'd been through, she could give him that simple luxury.

"What dae ye want, O'Gilt?" he managed to say with no small amount of bite.

She smiled, happy to feel their usual rapport. "Same as always: I'm just here for some treasure."

"No," Scrooge paused a moment, completely stopping their dance. "I mean...what dae ye want with...us?"

Goldie blinked, clearly shocked by the question. "I, um...well…you can't just put this all on me, Scroogey. What do _you_ want?"

He stared at her and sighed, grabbing her hand and waist again to continue their twirl as the song was coming to a close. "Ah...Ah want _you._ "

She didn't say anything and he took that as a sign to continue.

"Ae want tae wake up tae ye every mornin' and go on adventures with ye where ye _don't_ leave me behind and Ah want to see ye every night before Ah go tae sleep. Ah...Ah want ye tae be a permanent part of my life. That's what Ah want."

He didn't look up at her, but Scrooge knew she was still staring at him with that wide-eyed shocked expression from before. They didn't _do_ emotional confessions. They had fun together: they traveled together, trained together, adventured together, danced together. This was the furthest thing from fun. It was, in fact, making his heart beat at ninety miles an hour, and the billionaire wasn't sure if he'd be able to wait much longer for her response.

"...Scrooge, I, um..."

He looked up at her face, finally, to see a surprising blush across her cheeks paired with an uncomfortable frown. She hadn't been looking at him, either.

"...you're really putting all your cards on the table here, aren't you?

He squeezed her hand. "Donae ye think it's been long enough?"

Goldie slowly moved her head to finally make eye contact with him again, and he didn't want her to look away.

"...do ye?"

At that question, Goldie tore herself away from his grasp. His hands felt empty and cold. "Look, Scrooge, I just...I can't do this right now."

She tried to walk away, so he reached out and grabbed her wrist. "Then when?"

Without looking back at him, Goldie tugged her arm and brought her hands together in front of her chest. "I don't know."

Scrooge watched as she quickly left the dance floor - couples still sashaying around him without a care in the world. And why should they care? A man with a broken heart wasn't a rare sight for anyone. But he'd thought this would go so differently for some stupid reason. He still wasn't sure how she felt...somehow the lack of definitive response made him feel even worse.

His hands started to feel dry and he finally left the hall, grabbing a few water bottles from the table and making his way towards the door. Why had he even come here in the first place? Just because he'd heard Goldie was going to be there? It'd been almost eight years since she left him in a block of ice. He couldn't keep letting her take over his thoughts every time she came into view. Two times she'd broken his heart now. How many more times could he take it?

On his way out of the museum, Scrooge opened one of the water bottles and took a big swig. The dancing didn't tire him out, yet he felt exhausted. He just wanted to get Goldie off his mind. Focus on work and money instead. Maybe take a break from adventuring for a little bit and really build up his business.

He glanced at the table next to him in the large entranceway and his eyes locked onto a very special piece of jewelry displayed there that looked slightly out of place. Without a second thought, he pulled a loupe out of his jacket, leaning in for a closer inspection.

The necklace was fake, he was certain of it. And there was no doubt in his mind where the real necklace had gone. He should probably tell security that _someone_ had taken off with The Hope Diamond only a few days after its' arrival.

Though he hated himself for it, Scrooge smiled and leaned against the wall. His heart was still thumping loudly in his chest, but somehow it was a comfort to know that the Goldie he fell in love with throughout all their years together hadn't changed one bit.

* * *

 _I don't remember what I originally had planned for chapter four of this fic, but I wrote this sometime last night and felt like it worked. Though I hope it's obvious - takes place a few years after the flashbacks from Golden Lagoon of White Agony Plains._

 _In case anyone's confused - canonically, the flashbacks from Golden Lagoon were not the last time Scrooge and Goldie saw each other. He specifically says she looks younger than the last time he saw her AND Beakley has clearly met Goldie before, so Scrooge and Goldie have met (at least) several times since being frozen in ice._


	5. shush

_Goldie makes assumptions. Scrooge gets the upper hand. Beakley just wants to finish this job._

* * *

"...taller than I expected."

Everyone who was anyone had heard about them: first appearing together at an auction in 1967, then spotted at several exclusive events over the next decade and a half. It wasn't difficult to see what was happening: Scrooge McDuck was in a long term relationship with a woman who _didn't_ break his heart every decade or so. Good for him, she supposed.

Goldie scoffed and grabbed a martini off the bar that someone else had ordered and forgotten about. She stared at the duo - not dancing, not touching, they weren't even looking at each other...but they were talking about something. And whatever it was, they seemed _very_ serious about it.

It didn't take a genius to realize it wasn't a discussion about their relationship or the flower arrangements at this gallery opening. Goldie started to think she'd underestimated this partnership by categorizing it as a simple romantic affair.

Powered by only curiosity (and absolutely zero jealousy), Goldie decided to investigate and figure out what was up.

* * *

"She's almost guaranteed to show up here," Beakley mumbled, scanning her eyes across the room.

"It just doesnae seem tae be F.O.W.L.'s usual style," Scrooge commented as he grabbed some food from the nearby table. "Art theft is a bit out of their lane, don't ye think?"

"I don't believe she's associated with F.O.W.L., Mr. McDuck. But she's become quite the topic of conversation around headquarters." She noticed his full plate and rolled her eyes. "Apparently managed to escape several agent's attempts at apprehending her."

"Hmmm," Scrooge mumbled into his food.

Beakley honestly didn't understand why he had to come. Yes, the gallery opening was for the famous, rich, and elite only...but they could just give her a fake identity for the night. Being the _"date"_ of Mr. Self-Absorbed-Money-Grubbing-Multi-Billionaire-McDuck was not her idea of a fun night nor was he an ideal partner to fight with. He was very frustrating, even when he somehow managed to survive despite his lack of foresight or planning.

A flash of blonde suddenly moving from her spot across from them caught Bentina's eye. She glared and looked around, trying to spot that woman again. Could that have been their art thief? She was supposed to be tall with dark hair, but there could always be an accomplice or disguise.

No sight of her.

"Keep a look out for a short blonde woman in a black dress. I noticed her earlier, but she's disappeared...could be working with-"

" _How_ blonde?"

Beakley, annoyed at the interruption, glared down at him, only to find a surprisingly serious look on his face. " _What?_ What kind of question is that?"

"If she was frustratingly beautiful wi' long golden locks 'at ye just want tae comb yer fingers through an' bright green eyes 'at light up th' room...we could be in trouble."

She blinked. "...you have to be aware of how personal that description was. Obviously I don't identify with any of those feelings."

" _Argh,_ ye know what Ae mean!" Scrooge huffed. "Ae hope Ae'm wrong, but it might've been-"

"Hey there, lovebirds. Talking about me?"

Beakley jumped and got into a defensive stance, one fist angled right at Goldie's face. Scrooge, meanwhile, didn't even flinch, instead opting to continue eating the devilled eggs on his plate and not worry about their interruption.

"Goldie O'Gilt," he said between bites. "Th' Ice Queen of Dawson."

"Aww, Scroogey..." Goldie wrapped an arm around his shoulder and circled him, grabbing an egg off his plate. "I love when you call me a queen." She popped it in her mouth and Scrooge tried his best not to glare.

Bentina racked her brain to try and figure out what was happening, despite the fact that it was pretty clear and right in front of her. Certainly she wasn't watching a woman of certain attractiveness _willingly_ flirting with Scrooge McDuck? Though, when she gave it a little more thought, the name Scrooge said was ringing just a few bells…

Ah.

"...is this your ex, Mr. McDuck?"

Goldie raised an eyebrow and moved her hand from Scrooge's shoulder to her hip. "Is that what you're calling me now?"

Ignoring her, Scrooge looked back at Beakley. "Donae worry abit 'er, 22. She may be trouble, but she'd ne'er work wi' someone else."

"No one but you, Scroogey-poo," Goldie said with a smirk and leaned forward to kiss him. He managed to dodge out of the way, but Goldie just smiled.

Beakley was feeling more confused than ever while watching this weird little dance of theirs. They were apparently exes, but clearly not, and Scrooge seemed to dislike her, but also his previous description of her was full of...desire. Perhaps she just didn't understand man/woman relationships like she thought she did. Or...perhaps these two were just odd. Maybe both.

Goldie finally acknowledged Beakley with a half-lidded stare. "So you're S.H.U.S.H., then?"

The younger woman's eyes widened under her glasses. "Why would you say that?"

"Well, considering the amount of times you've mentioned F.O.W.L. since arriving here, it became a bit obvious." She stepped a bit closer to Beakley and glared. "Have they started paying or did Scroogey hit his head so hard he's doing charity work now?"

Scrooge grumbled into his glass while Bentina considered the best way to answer that. "...wouldn't you rather be asking _him_ that? I'm a little busy to answer your pointless questions."

Goldie frowned and reached into her purse, taking out a small golden compact mirror. "Ah, yes, I heard you mention some sort of art thief. If it's the tall girl who can jump into paintings, she was two rooms to the right last time I checked."

" _What?_ " Beakley spat out, already feeling nothing but ire towards this woman. "Mr. McDuck, stay right here and keep a lookout while I go check."

She took her leave, and Goldie turned to face her man. He looked back at her and immediately wished he hadn't - getting sucked in was much too easy. He was too weak to look away for long.

"Scrooge..." Goldie walked back over to him and took his glass of water, taking a sip. "I'm surprised, honestly. She's much taller than your usual type."

He huffed. "If mah usual type is _ye_ , 'en most everyone is taller."

Unoffended, Goldie finished off his glass. "I suppose you've always liked women who can take you down."

Scrooge mulled on that for a few seconds, really taking in the implications of her statement. When realization hit, he smirked bigger than ever before and looked Goldie right in the eyes. "O'Gilt...are ye _jealous_?"

She was briefly taken aback and shook her head. "Excuse me?"

"Yoo t'ink Beakley and Ah are… _together! And_ yoo're mad abit it!" He could not have been happier at that moment. It wasn't often he was able to throw Goldie off balance, but clearly the realization that she was wrong about his "partner" was leaving her embarrassed. "Deny it all ye want, Goldie Girl - yoo've ne'er been more transparent!"

"I'm _not_ …" she started to say, but stopped herself with a sigh. "Alright, fine. Take this victory with some dignity, will you?"

Scrooge laughed and put his plate down. "If better music was playin' Ae'd ask for a dance right noo."

She rolled her eyes, but Scrooge could see a hint of a smile on her face as she nudged his shoulder. Maybe coming here wasn't a waste of his time after all. Not that catching a hardened criminal wasn't a good use of his time, but...well. An art gallery three states away from home wasn't really how he'd wanted to spend his night.

"So did ye actually see someone jump intae a paintin'?" Scrooge asked, suddenly remembering what she'd told Beakley earlier.

"Oh, yeah." Goldie shrugged. "At first I thought there was a gas leak, but I saw her go in and out and then back into another one. Looked pretty young, too. Fresh out of high school."

"Hmm..." Scrooge nodded and looked over to see Beakley headed their way again, a few random splotches of paint all over her dress and an exasperated look on her face. "Looks like she got awa'."

"Doesn't she always have that look on her face?"

He chuckled. "It sure seems like it."

As Beakley walked the rest of the way towards him, Scrooge felt a small peck on his cheek and turned to see Goldie had disappeared. Pity - he was having fun just chatting with her like they did back in the day. He always enjoyed the opportunity for them to just...talk. But he supposed she wasn't interested in talking to someone new.

"So what's th' status, 22?"

"The _status_ is that she painted two giant dogs which proceeded to attack me and then she jumped out the window while shouting that she was headed for some exhibit in St. Canard," Beakley grumbled. "And where did your girlfriend go?"

Scrooge rubbed his cheek and sighed. "Goldie...goes where she wants. Ah can ne'er keep track of 'er."

"Sounds healthy." She nodded towards the door. "We need to contact HQ immediately."

He huffed and nodded back. "It's complicated."

As they headed towards the exit, Goldie poked her head around a corner and watched them walk away. This was quite the enlightening night for her, and she hoped to get the opportunity to fight _Agent 22_ at some point. Until then, she'd just check the papers and watch from afar. As of that moment, Goldie strained her neck to hear the tail-end of their conversation.

"...did ye say ye were attacked by _painted_ dogs?"

"You can't possibly think I bought this dress with the paint splatter already on it?"

"Eh...Ae ne'er really understood fashion. Who am Ah to judge yer style?"

"Oh, shut up."

* * *

 _And this fic is doooone! I'm hoping canon doesn't contradict it at any point (just kidding, any mention of Goldie in canon makes me happy I don't care what headcanons of mine get thrown out). Obviously I will be writing more Scroldie fics soon...I'm on a kick right now so perhaps very soon. Thanks for reading!_

 _(also if it's not obvious, the villain of this chapter is Splatter Phoenix from Darkwing Duck. she's much younger here and hasn't met Darkwing yet. but in a few years time, she'll make her way there!)_


End file.
